Meatless Monday: Tempeh and Broccolini Stir-Fry

Before you run off in fear, let me assure you that I am new to tempeh, too. Tempeh (pronounced “temp-eh”) is a soy-based vegetarian protein that is packed with calcium and fiber. And because temeph uses the whole soy bean, there is more protein, fiber, and vitamins & minerals in tempeh as compared to tofu. Unlike tofu’s very squishy texture, tempeh is dense and nutty. It is easier than tofu to prepare and takes on the flavors of other ingredients very readily.

If there’s a new ingredient, namely proteins, I want to try out on Mr. Prevention…Asian flavors are usually the safest choice. Vegetarian proteins are unique in that they are very mild in flavor and can adapt to most recipes, as was the case in this dish.

The only draw-back to Asian ingredients such as soy sauce, hoisin, and seasoned rice vinegar are the high sodium contents. And MSG, though you can very easily find MSG-free ingredients in nearly any retailer.

Funny two-second story. When I went out for hibachi with my students last week, one of the students jokingly asked our chef if his teriyaki sauce was MSG-free. We all thought this was rather funny. And hey, I know they learned something 😉

Though Mr. Prevention was hesitant to try this dish, he had picked up the broccolini himself from Whole Foods and we fought all week over the various names — broccoli rabe, broccolini, baby broccoli, etc. Apparently, I was to give him ALL the possible names it could be under because my description of “tall, skinny broccolini” wasn’t good enough. If you can’t find broccolini, no sweat…just use your every day broccoli 🙂

Somewhat to my surprise, Mr. Prevention really enjoyed this dish. He would like me to note that “it’s all about the sauce” and he proceeded to pour more than his fair share of the remaining sauce over his plate. Whatever. Can’t blame him, the sauce is wonderful…as is this dish.

Result: Tempeh success! Thanks to the bold flavors of hoisin, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper, it’s hard not to love this dish…even if you’re in search of the meat. I, personally, wouldn’t consider tempeh to be anything like meat, but I like it. It’s a nice change from tofu and tempeh is becoming easier to find all the time – my local Kroger now carries it ($2.99 for 8 oz — on sale for $1.99 many times) in the refrigerated health foods section. Mr. P-approved, too! Enjoy!

Comments

No joke, I was just telling Nick’s mom about how I want to start using tempeh more, and how I need a tempeh stir-fry recipe! Definitely pinning this one 🙂
Also, we got our girl scout cookies yesterday and Nick ate 9. Yep, NINE!! Talk about needing an insulin shot. My goodness.

I absolutely adore tempeh, especially in asian dishes! That nutty, slightly bitter flavor goes perfectly with the sweet/salty/spicy sauces! this is totally pinned…I’m always in the mood for a good stir fry!

This sounds really good, and I’ve been wanting to cook more with tempeh. I bought tempeh bacon awhile back and I really liked it. And since I’m too lazy to cook with meat, I always enjoy finding other forms of protein.

Oooh, I so wish I could find tempeh here! I’ve never tried it and can’t find it near home, otherwise I’m sure I’d love it. Gotta love living in a small town sometimes, haha. This looks delicious though – I totally agree with your comment about asian flavors. So yummy, and a good way to introduce something new.